Share Tweet Share Email Comments Print These profiles and summary information of the winning companies were written by the companies themselves and were provided by Energage. ■ Aldi: Headquarters: Batavia, Ill.: Founded by the Albrecht family, the first ALDI grocery store opened in 1961 in Germany, making ALDI the first discounter in the world. ALDI has more than 1,600 stores across 35 states, employs over 25,000 people and has been steadily growing since opening its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976. ■ American Manufacturing Inc.: Headquarters: Toledo: American Manufacturing specializes in the high volume production of standard steel containers for Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and their suppliers. We are privileged to be the preferred supplier to all three automotive manufacturers simultaneously. We work with all of our customers to optimize container designs that maximize performance and minimize cost. We bring a broad level of experience to the table to help select materials and processes known to result in designs that work without breaking the bank. ■ Brondes Ford: Headquarters: Toledo: Brondes Ford Automotive Group has two locations: Brondes Ford Toledo on Secor Road and Brondes Ford/​Lincoln Maumee on Reynolds Road. Brondes sells new and pre-owned vehicles, has full-service parts and body shop areas. ■ Cardinal Staffing Services: Headquarters: Maumee: Cardinal Services Inc. takes great pride in our leadership role within the staffing industry. Our leadership allows us to better assist our business clients to expand their operations and our candidates to build a better quality of life and future. As the link between employer and employee, it is our mission to provide the best environment for making these connections. We do so by maintaining a staff of the highest level of competence, and by providing them training in the most sophisticated staffing programs available. Cardinal Services, Inc was Continue Reading

The State’s Best is an unscientific sampling based on the subjective polling of The State’s readers. The results appear in a special advertising section. Winners are listed below. The State’s Best Entertainment Best Annual Community Event | South Carolina State Fair Best Art Gallery | Columbia Museum of Art Best Children’s Entertainment | Riverbanks Zoo Best Golf Course | Cobblestone Park Golf Club Best Live Music | Music Farm Best Museum | South Carolina State Museum Best Place for a Child’s Birthday Party | Frankie’s Fun Park Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners | Riverbanks Zoo Best Stage Theater | Trustus Theatre The State’s Best Food and Drink Best-All-Around Restaurant | Motor Supply Best Bakery | Tiffany’s Bakery & Eatery Related stories from The State in Columbia SC Best Bang for the Buck | Shealy’s BBQ Best Bar | The British Bulldog Pub Best Barbecue | Shealy’s BBQ Best Bartender | James Pickle, The British Bulldog Pub Best Beer List | World of Beer Best Biscuit | Cafe Strudel Best Breakfast | Lizard’s Thicket Best Brunch | Cafe Strudel Best Burger | Pawley’s Front Porch Best Burrito | El Burrito Best Business Lunch | DiPrato’s Best Candy Shop | Cromer’s Best Caterer | Southern Way Best Cheesesteak | Very’s Great Philly Food Best Chicken | Zesto of West Columbia Best Chinese Food | Miyo’s Best Coffee | Drip Best Deli | Groucho’s Deli Best Dessert | Nonnah’s Best Draft Beer | Craft and Draft Best Family Dining with Kids | Flight Deck Restaurant Best Fast Food | Rush’s Best Fine Dining | Blue Marlin Best First Date Restaurant | Al’s Upstairs Best Food Truck | 2 Fat 2 Fly Best French Food | Crepes & Croissants Best Greek Food | Zorba’s Best Happy Hour | Old Mill Brewpub Best Hot Dog | Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs Best Ice Cream | Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs Best Indian Food | Delhi Palace Best Italian Food | Alodia’s Continue Reading

For the past 22 years, the Suburban Journals of St. Charles County has celebrated 100 + readers' choice winners in the area. Winners were chosen by an online reader-submitted vote that took place in November. Honorees are the top vote-getters in their respective categories. See all the winners below: The top restaurants The top people The top places The top businesses The top services On Thursday at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles we honored the winners and celebrated their accomplishments. See photos from the event Thanks to Bounce Back Sports, our presenting sponsor, and to Bud Light, American Cleaners, Fernweh Distilling, Bommarito St. Peters, Fischer & Frichtel and discoverstcharles.com TOP RESTAURANTS: 24-HOUR & BREAKFAST Since 1991, Gingham's Homestyle Restaurant has been a staple of the St. Charles community. It is one of the few restaurants that serve a full menu 24-hours a day. Whether you crave pancakes at dinner time or the famous house salad in the middle of the night, Gingham’s is there to serve you. Visit ginghamsrestaurant.com or call (636) 946-0266 for the menu and other information. BAKERY, DESSERT & SPECIALTY Grandma's Cookies boasts handmade, home-style cookies just like Grandma used to bake. A variety of flavors are available from their cottage located on Historic Main Street. Call (636) 947-0088 to place an order. BAR & LOUNGE & NEIGHBORHOOD BAR Since 2014, the staff at Turtle Creek Pub & Grill work diligently to make your visit enjoyable through a menu of comfort and home-style food, a full selection of the finest domestic and craft brews, top label liquors and good times. Stop in on Saturday nights to hear some of the best live music around. Visit turtlecreekpub.com or call (636) 294-3458 for more information. BARBECUE Sugarfire Smoke House will delight your taste buds with unconventional, unique and adventurous flavor combinations. Start off with a delicious Continue Reading

The best books of 2017 Compiled by Steve Bennett December 27, 2017 Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 1of/32 CaptionClose Image 1 of 32 Jesmyn Ward won the 2017 National Book Award for fiction for “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” a dark, family fable set in contemporary Mississippi that grapples with race, poverty and the psychic scars of past violence. It was her second fiction NBA; she also won in 2011 for her novel “Salvage the Bones.” less Jesmyn Ward won the 2017 National Book Award for fiction for “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” a dark, family fable set in contemporary Mississippi that grapples with race, poverty and the psychic scars of past ... more Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 2 of 32 “Always Happy Hour: Stories” by Mary Miller “Always Happy Hour: Stories” by Mary Miller Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 3 of 32 “4,3,2,1” by Paul Auster “4,3,2,1” by Paul Auster Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 4 of 32 “A Book of American Martyrs” by Joyce Carol Oates “A Book of American Martyrs” by Joyce Carol Oates Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 5 of 32 “Difficult Women” by Roxane Gay “Difficult Women” by Roxane Gay Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 6 of 32 Novelist and essayist Roxane Gay’s 21 short stories in “Difficult Women” are told with direct, plainspoken intimacy. Novelist and essayist Roxane Gay’s 21 short stories in “Difficult Women” are told with direct, plainspoken intimacy. Continue Reading

Auto Repair FIRST PLACE: DOWNEY TIRE PROSTaking their business seriously, but also having fun, Downey Tire Pros creates a comfortable atmosphere for its customers, while getting down to the important task of quality oil changes, steering and suspension repairs, brake service, diesel engine repair and much more. Bonus services include pick-up and delivery and a lounge stocked withFind it: 103 W 2nd Ave., IndianolaInfo: 515-961-0345; downeytire.com SECOND PLACE: WEST SIDE AUTO BODYAttributing their long-running success to a staff of “outstanding” well-trained employees, West Side Auto Body has been a destination for collision repair since 1976, offering free estimates on minor and major work and a lifetime warranty on most repairs.Find it: 1838 Fuller Rd., West Des MoinesInfo: 515-223-0134; westsideautobodyinc.com THIRD PLACE: WOODY'S REPAIR SHOPDedicated to producing consistent, quality work, the Woody's Auto Repair Service team can draw on a wide range of specialty knowledge, including four-wheel-drive systems, air bags and computer diagnostics. They also keep a large inventory of tires and batteries on site.Find it: 217 E. 1st St, AnkenyInfo: 515-964-7925; woodysautorepairservice.comBody Shop FIRST PLACE: ANKENY AUTO BODYFamily-owned since 1978, customer satisfaction is the goal at Ankeny Auto Body. Painting, hail damage, dent and glass repair are all part of their daily work and they also warranty the work for as long as you own your vehicle.Find it: 1501 SE Cortina Dr., AnkenyInfo: 515-964-7291; ankenyautobody.com SECOND PLACE: GRAHAM COLLISIONWorking directly with your insurance company and offering a lifetime warranty on all repairs, Graham Collision computer scans every vehicle THIRD PLACE: WEST SIDE AUTO BODYAble to fix both major and minor issues, West Side Auto Body offers laser frame repair among its many expert methods to help pinpoint Continue Reading

The United Auto Workers failed to organize workers at Fuyao Glass America Inc. in Ohio because of “anti-labor tactics and intimidation by management,” the union said.Employees at the Moraine, Ohio, plant voted 886 to 441 against organizing under the UAW. That facility was a General Motors Corp. plant until 2008. When GM owned it, employees were organized under the International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers — Communications Workers of America.The Fuyao employees’ vote came less than a week after The Detroit News first reported that federal agents expanded a corruption investigation to include a member of General Motors Co.’s board and the joint union training centers funded by all three Detroit automakers. That was spurred by corruption charges filed against a former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV labor executive and the wife of a deceased union vice president.The Fuyao vote is the second recent UAW failure to organize in recent months. The UAW suffered a major defeat in August when Nissan workers in Canton, Miss., voted nearly 2-to-1 against joining the labor union. The vote followed a contentious campaign similar to what circulated in the Fuyao campaign.The Nissan defeat marked the third time in nearly 20 years that Nissan workers in the South have voted against joining the UAW. Workers at Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee, plant voted against joining the UAW by 2-to-1 margins in 1989 and 2001. Nissan said then the victory over the UAW was a sign of the strength of non-unionized factories in the South.Following the Fuyao results, the UAW said in a statement that officials are investigating “irregularities during the elections” Fuyao workers had reported.The UAW might file objections with the National Labor Relations Board. The labor union alleges Fuyao employees have been fighting against unsafe workplace conditions and unfair treatment, among other things.“While we respect our Continue Reading

Looking for a roundup of the latest and most important news from the automotive world? You’ve found it in the Daily Drive-Thru. Check it out every weekday to see what you missed and what you need to know. June is officially upon us. School years are wrapping up, summer is right around the corner and, for some automakers, it marks the end of a miserable May. Mayday for U.S. auto sales May was a tough month for the U.S. auto industry. Well, for most of it at least. Ford and General Motors both saw year-over-year sales fall last month, a trend widely attributed to the month having two fewer selling days and a general disinterest in sedans. The end result was an overall sales decline of 6 percent for U.S. manufacturers. GM sales fell by a whopping 18 percent while Ford sales fell 6 percent overall, despite a 9 percent spike in sales for its F-Series pickup trucks. Toyota, the third-best selling brand in the U.S., saw its May sales drop 9.6 percent, Honda sales fell 4.8 percent and Nissan fell just 1 percent. On the positive side, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles saw sales tick up 1 percent thanks to a 14 percent jump in Jeep SUV sales. Hyundai also benefited from SUV sales, gaining 12 percentage points over last year, while its sister brand, Kia, saw sales increase by 1 percent. Source: Reuters General Motors and others add to Takata recalls General Motors is launching a preliminary recall of several of its full-size truck and SUV lines to replace passenger-side front airbag inflators made by Takata. GM maintains there is no safety risk associated with the 2007-2011 model year vehicles, but additional testing was requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Included in the new preliminary recall are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500; Sierra 2500 and 3500; Avalanche, Tahoe and Suburban truck, as well as GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and Yukon XL, and Continue Reading

Attention, fans of America’s Sports Car: You now have two more reasons than a Corvette-swallowing sinkholeto make a pilgrimage to Bowling Green, Kentucky, the official home of seven generations of Americana. For the first time, the ‘City that Corvette Made’ will allow customers of select General Motors vehicles to enter the factory and help assemble engines that go into some of the company’s most powerful cars. If that wasn’t enough, equally significant news is the recent opening of the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park. The New York Daily News Autos recently had the chance to travel to Bowling Green to experience the latest innovations first-hand. Build your own engine at the Performance Build Center The Performance Build Center, in which customers can literally have a hand in the production of their cars’ respective engines, is a recent addition to Bowling Green, but hardly a new concept. The original location of the Performance Build Center was at a GM facility in Wixom, Michigan. To coincide with the introduction of the seventh-generation Corvette, the facility moved to Bowling Green, where it was reassembled almost identically. Compared to the mechanized lines that surround the glass-enclosed Performance Build Center on the factory floor, the engine build area more closely resembles a vintage coach-building facility. Laid out on three separate lines are neatly arranged stations with measured nuts, bolts, and equipment for engine hand-assembly. Builders on the line are capable of producing 28 engines per day, on an eight-hour shift, according to line managers. Among the engines currently being produced at the Performance Build Center is the 650-horsepower supercharged LT4 V-8, which will make its debut in the forthcoming Corvette Z06. In the first weeks of production, floor managers estimated that the facility will produce as many engines as possible, or Continue Reading

Mexico is the auto industry darling, Canada is struggling to retain a manufacturing footprint, and the U.S. is a house divided with most of the new automotive investment and jobs headed south of the Mason-Dixon line.The three countries are a united trading block under the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, but they're fierce rivals in the boardrooms where auto executives decide where to invest in the latest equipment and additional jobs.The relative fortunes of the three countries have changed over the years, but right now, and for the foreseeable future, the farther south you are located, the better.Of the vehicles built in North America last year, Mexico produced about one in five, or double the rate from 2004. WardsAuto, which tracks production data, expects the rate to increase to one in four by 2020."The U.S. South and Mexico are winning the battle," said Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants near Toronto. "Over half the capacity and 80%-90% of investment dollars are going to the U.S. South or Mexico."Conversely, he sees the Canadian auto industry dwindling to five automakers with a single assembly plant each over the next decade or two — or about half its current manufacturing footprint.The UAW is keeping a close eye on the flood of automotive investment migrating to Mexico, UAW President Dennis Williams said at the union's bargaining convention in March. The issue is especially critical for the UAW this year as it seeks product commitments from the Detroit Three in negotiating a new contract with the Detroit Three for about 140,000 U.S. autoworkers. Where is your car made? The auto industry is global, but increasingly companies want to build in the region where they sell. Which means chances are your new vehicle will continue to be built in North America but may not be made in the U.S.A.Back in 2004, 11.6 million vehicles were built in the U.S., or 74% of the 15.8 million industry total. Canada built 2.7 million, Continue Reading

Little Italy, Chinatown, Curry Hill ... Little Britain? It could happen. Virgin Atlantic recently launched a campaign for a block of Greenwich Ave. in the West Village to be officially renamed Little Britain to reflect the cluster of U.K.-themed businesses there. But though they may not have their own marketing campaigns, New York's many other "little" neighborhoods reflect the diversity of the foreigners who call the city their new permanent home. Luckily for us, we can get a taste of their native lands with little more travel than the subway. Here are our picks. LITTLE BRITAIN It's nearly impossible to walk down a single block in New York without hearing a British voice, whether it's a cheeky cockney visitor or, say, Madonna. For many of them, headquarters here is Soho House, a private club where the bar looks (and sounds) more like a London lounge than a New York spot. Sweet-talk a member into signing you in by asking for an opinion of Beckham's move to L.A. If that Brit's just flown, more than likely he or she is staying nearby at the gaudy Gansevoort Hotel. It's been inundated with visitors from the U.K. since it opened - almost one in six guests is from Blighty. If you can't get into Soho House, hang at the rooftop bar here to talk the finer points of football. Nearby is veteran grocer Myers of Keswick (pronounced "KEZZ-ick"). For the last two decades, it's been selling everything from fresh pork pies to Hershey's-shaming Cadbury's chocolate bars, Robinson's fruit squash and jars of pickled onions. For British food, skip the clichéd and terrible grub - not to mention the surly service - at hokey cafe Tea & Sympathy; instead, head over to London-style gastropub the Spotted Pig, with its homey decor, neighborhood crowd and shoestring fries. If you've still got the energy, browse the jeans at Andrew Buckler's store. The U.K.-born brains behind the line churns out men's wear with a bad-boy swagger worthy of Mick Jagger. For wives and Continue Reading